What Word-processor and font do you use?

Rizla · 09-20-2013, 07:59 AM

I use Atlantis with Courier New. I set up my screen so it looks like a nice simple TXT only editor but I can also use colors and formatting (italics etc) to help editing. I was wondering what people use and why.

mncowboy · 09-20-2013, 08:32 AM

MS Word, Times New Roman
It just seems easier on my eyes. I spend most of my day on a computer, and use TNR on all of my applications where I can change the font.

Pulpmeister · 09-20-2013, 08:52 AM

MS Word, and mostly Calibri, which is a sans serif font. Way back when, in the early days of Windows 3.1 the first iteration of Windows which offered scalable fonts, I used Schoolbook in Wordperfect 5 (showing my age!).

Except on my websites where I use either Georgia or Verdana. These two are website optimised faces, and virtually universal, which means practically anyone who uses the sites gets the same fonts. Any fancy display fonts on the sites are done as graphics.

Georgia is a slightly wider version of Times New Roman, I think, just that bit clearer on-screen.

When I get bored with Calibri I'll no doubt shift to Georgia for a change as my everyday typing font. I do this sort of thing from time to time.

Anna Drake · 09-20-2013, 12:32 PM

I use LibreOffice and Times New Roman fonts. LIbreOffice is a free program which matches the power of MS Word rather nicely, and TNR is a like a familiar, comfortable, old friend.

teh603 · 09-20-2013, 03:46 PM

A plain text editor (Geany on my PC and Jota+ on my tablet), and a monospaced font. When I'm compiling the final document, I generally switch to a serif font, and usually a Bookman lookalike. I *might* embed one or two fonts for the headings, depending on how I feel about it and what I used on the cover. I like having the cover fonts match the headings.

VydorScope · 09-20-2013, 03:53 PM

MS Word for Mac - and I do not pay attention to the font, but just looked and it defaults to Cambria. I do not even know what that is.

Penforhire · 09-20-2013, 04:29 PM

MS Word in Windows, mostly using TNR font, for my day job. I need to use Word for maximum compatibility with others. There isn't much wrong with it for technical purposes, at least since they allowed us to hide that awful Ribbon.

For personal writing, I use Scrivener in OSX. I forget the font but it is the default type.

Mivo · 09-20-2013, 04:31 PM

I do most of my writing in Scrivener (the creative stuff), Sublime Text (the technical and administrative stuff), and Google Drive/Docs (the everything else stuff; ideally, I would like to use it for everything, not just the else, because it removes the need for Dropbox).

As for fonts, I'm not overly picky. Courier New in Scrivener, and Consolas in Sublime Text (which is the default font face anyway).

gmw · 09-20-2013, 09:08 PM

I write prose in Times New Roman using LibreOffice and before that OpenOffice.

Why TNR? Mostly it's just years of familiarity. I prefer my prose in a proportional serif font, I find it easier to read. I'd soon get used to others, but TNR has "always" been there, and it's available for anything thanks to an oversight by Microsoft in their Core Fonts project. These days I use 12pt TNR, back when my eyes were better I'd use 11pt or even 10pt (not that size matters much these days with easy zooming).

Why LO? Because LibreOffice seemed to be being better maintained that OpenOffice when I was looking to upgrade, but either would do the job for me. I make great use of their style features and haven't found anything else that would easily replace them. I moved to OpenOffice several years ago, I had never been very happy with MS-Office (I like software that does what it says on the tin, I don't like software that feels it has to take over your entire system and get in the way of every little thing you want to do), not that I'd used MSOffice for long, I was a WordPerfect fan before that.

teh603 · 09-22-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmw

Why TNR? Mostly it's just years of familiarity. I prefer my prose in a proportional serif font, I find it easier to read.

No issues with TNR rendering smaller than it should? That's why I've always preferred other fonts, because they render a point or two larger.

Quote:

not that I'd used MSOffice for long, I was a WordPerfect fan before that.

If we want to go back that far, I can remember preferring NissusWriter for MacOS 8 for a very long time. It ran a lot faster than Word 6, even on a PowerPC chip.

carld · 09-22-2013, 10:43 AM

I used to use MS Word exclusively, but after a couple years trying, I just couldn't get comfortable with the ribbon interface. I'm waffling between Open Office and LibreOffice at the moment.

I was also a Wordperfect for DOS fan. It's still probably my preferred writing environment, a clean slate with no distractions, and one font.

gmw · 09-22-2013, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teh603

No issues with TNR rendering smaller than it should? That's why I've always preferred other fonts, because they render a point or two larger.[...]

It hasn't been much of a problem for me, though I don't know how much of that is having gotten used to it. In my software development, and with producing documents to send to clients etc., it was usually best to go on the safe side and choose from Arial, Times New Roman or Courier New, as appropriate for the situation, because you always knew these would exist on any Windows machine. So this carried over into my writing as well, without me really thinking about it much. I'm more careful with my font selection for print editions, but for on screen work I've never bothered to change.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

I used to use MS Word exclusively, but after a couple years trying, I just couldn't get comfortable with the ribbon interface. I'm waffling between Open Office and LibreOffice at the moment.

I was also a Wordperfect for DOS fan. It's still probably my preferred writing environment, a clean slate with no distractions, and one font.

I think I came to WP at v4.2, but it's v5.1 that I had a real soft spot for. As you say, a clean slate, but with the ability to get an accurate page display when you wanted it. I always thought it was sad that they couldn't translate that success to Windows. I used WP for Windows for some years, but most of that was residual loyalty I think, rather than any real affection for what it became.

Lazer · 09-22-2013, 12:01 PM

Scrivener –it's a lot more than a word processor– and Georgia.

From Wiki:
The Georgia typeface is similar to Times New Roman, but with many subtle differences: Georgia is larger than Times at the same point size, and has a greater x-height at the same actual size; Times New Roman is slightly narrower, with a more vertical axis; and Georgia's serifs are slightly wider and have blunter, flatter ends. Georgia incorporates influences from Clarendon-style typefaces, especially in b, r, j, and c (uppercase and lowercase).[citation needed] Figures (numerals) are an exception: Georgia uses text (old-style) figures whereas Times New Roman has lining figures.

Alex Bleach · 09-22-2013, 06:50 PM

I usually use Arial, if only for the reason I know all devices can read it.

Historiann · 09-22-2013, 07:43 PM

WordPerfect, TNR. WP remains much more versatile than MS Word and also is backward compatible. I can pull up old files created on REALLY old versions of WP (as far back as 4.2 for DOS) and they are still readable and usable.

09-20-2013, 07:59 AM	#1
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	What Word-processor and font do you use? I use Atlantis with Courier New. I set up my screen so it looks like a nice simple TXT only editor but I can also use colors and formatting (italics etc) to help editing. I was wondering what people use and why.

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09-20-2013, 08:32 AM	#2
mncowboy Wanderer Posts: 106 Karma: 472218 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3, PaperWhite 2	MS Word, Times New Roman It just seems easier on my eyes. I spend most of my day on a computer, and use TNR on all of my applications where I can change the font.

09-20-2013, 08:52 AM	#3
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,502 Karma: 28893796 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	MS Word, and mostly Calibri, which is a sans serif font. Way back when, in the early days of Windows 3.1 the first iteration of Windows which offered scalable fonts, I used Schoolbook in Wordperfect 5 (showing my age!). Except on my websites where I use either Georgia or Verdana. These two are website optimised faces, and virtually universal, which means practically anyone who uses the sites gets the same fonts. Any fancy display fonts on the sites are done as graphics. Georgia is a slightly wider version of Times New Roman, I think, just that bit clearer on-screen. When I get bored with Calibri I'll no doubt shift to Georgia for a change as my everyday typing font. I do this sort of thing from time to time.

09-20-2013, 12:32 PM	#4
Anna Drake Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 2175016 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: rural Illinois, USA Device: Kindle	I use LibreOffice and Times New Roman fonts. LIbreOffice is a free program which matches the power of MS Word rather nicely, and TNR is a like a familiar, comfortable, old friend.

09-20-2013, 03:46 PM	#5
teh603 Autism Spectrum Disorder Posts: 1,212 Karma: 6244877 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Coastal Texas Device: Android Phone	A plain text editor (Geany on my PC and Jota+ on my tablet), and a monospaced font. When I'm compiling the final document, I generally switch to a serif font, and usually a Bookman lookalike. I might embed one or two fonts for the headings, depending on how I feel about it and what I used on the cover. I like having the cover fonts match the headings.

09-20-2013, 03:53 PM	#6
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	MS Word for Mac - and I do not pay attention to the font, but just looked and it defaults to Cambria. I do not even know what that is.

09-20-2013, 04:29 PM	#7
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	MS Word in Windows, mostly using TNR font, for my day job. I need to use Word for maximum compatibility with others. There isn't much wrong with it for technical purposes, at least since they allowed us to hide that awful Ribbon. For personal writing, I use Scrivener in OSX. I forget the font but it is the default type.

09-20-2013, 04:31 PM	#8
Mivo Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 3531054 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Germany Device: In use: Pocketbook InkPad 3, Kobo Glo, iPad Air 2	I do most of my writing in Scrivener (the creative stuff), Sublime Text (the technical and administrative stuff), and Google Drive/Docs (the everything else stuff; ideally, I would like to use it for everything, not just the else, because it removes the need for Dropbox). As for fonts, I'm not overly picky. Courier New in Scrivener, and Consolas in Sublime Text (which is the default font face anyway).

09-20-2013, 09:08 PM	#9
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I write prose in Times New Roman using LibreOffice and before that OpenOffice. Why TNR? Mostly it's just years of familiarity. I prefer my prose in a proportional serif font, I find it easier to read. I'd soon get used to others, but TNR has "always" been there, and it's available for anything thanks to an oversight by Microsoft in their Core Fonts project. These days I use 12pt TNR, back when my eyes were better I'd use 11pt or even 10pt (not that size matters much these days with easy zooming). Why LO? Because LibreOffice seemed to be being better maintained that OpenOffice when I was looking to upgrade, but either would do the job for me. I make great use of their style features and haven't found anything else that would easily replace them. I moved to OpenOffice several years ago, I had never been very happy with MS-Office (I like software that does what it says on the tin, I don't like software that feels it has to take over your entire system and get in the way of every little thing you want to do), not that I'd used MSOffice for long, I was a WordPerfect fan before that.

09-22-2013, 10:43 AM	#11
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I used to use MS Word exclusively, but after a couple years trying, I just couldn't get comfortable with the ribbon interface. I'm waffling between Open Office and LibreOffice at the moment. I was also a Wordperfect for DOS fan. It's still probably my preferred writing environment, a clean slate with no distractions, and one font.

09-22-2013, 12:01 PM	#13
Lazer Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1498858 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Scrivener –it's a lot more than a word processor– and Georgia. From Wiki: The Georgia typeface is similar to Times New Roman, but with many subtle differences: Georgia is larger than Times at the same point size, and has a greater x-height at the same actual size; Times New Roman is slightly narrower, with a more vertical axis; and Georgia's serifs are slightly wider and have blunter, flatter ends. Georgia incorporates influences from Clarendon-style typefaces, especially in b, r, j, and c (uppercase and lowercase).[citation needed] Figures (numerals) are an exception: Georgia uses text (old-style) figures whereas Times New Roman has lining figures.

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09-22-2013, 06:50 PM	#14
Alex Bleach Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 532396 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: UK Device: PC - PDF & Kindle Desktop	I usually use Arial, if only for the reason I know all devices can read it.

09-22-2013, 07:43 PM	#15
Historiann Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 532702 Join Date: May 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle PW	WordPerfect, TNR. WP remains much more versatile than MS Word and also is backward compatible. I can pull up old files created on REALLY old versions of WP (as far back as 4.2 for DOS) and they are still readable and usable.